Following the Smartphones and Tablets, Smart Watches are the newest addition to the Smart Devices category. Apple Watch joined the competition with Android Wears recently. Even though Apple Watches are quite late to the party, the hype and the expectation was very high, because Mac and iPhone users definitely know, Apple Watch will perfectly integrate with all their Apple devices. Also, the bug fixes and OS Updates will be pretty quick as compared to Android wears.

Apple fans can now use their iPhone to unlock their Mac through Touch ID, proximity, or another gesture. By setting up one of these new authentication tools, Apple users can save time logging in while keeping their devices secure. Here are some apps that will allow you to unlock your Mac computer with your iPhone.

MacID allows users to unlock their Mac with the Touch ID feature or device passcode on their iOS device, as well as unlocking it with MacID for the Apple Watch. Once you have the app downloaded on both your Mac and iPhone, you use the Touch ID to scan your fingerprint and it will unlock your Mac. It also gives users the ability to set Touch ID as the authorization for specific tasks such as trashing protected files.

If your iOS device moves away from your Mac, the Mac will automatically lock and inform you that it has done so. Users can also use MacID to set new unlock settings for the Mac itself by setting up a specific tap pattern on your touch pad that will also unlock your computer. Additionally, you can control your computer's audio and share clipboard content between your Mac and iOS device using MacID. In the app store, MacID runs $3.99. For it to work properly, your Mac must have Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) and be running OS X Yosemite or later. Your iOS device must also have Bluetooth LE, and be running iOS 8 or later.

When it comes to authentication apps, few are simpler than Knock – despite its $5 price tag. That said, I think that some of these apps do run the risk of becoming bogged down in detail and perhaps fail as a result; Knock sets out with one goal and accomplishes it well. The main idea is to add a layer of added protection not to the info on your Apple Watch but to that on your Mac, and then use your Watch as some kind of remote authentication – unlocking your Mac with a couple of knocks of your wrist once your are in range. It sounds simple and probably not worth the money, but I use it regularly and perhaps you should, too! – Download from iTunes

One ID is popularly known for its personal information management services. Apart from Unlocking your Mac, it acts as a password manager for all the websites you visit. Previously, it was available for iPhone to securely log in to different web applications. Now the application is also available for Apple Watch, which helps you unlock your Mac as well as log into your favorite websites easily. To unlock Mac or authorize websites from Apple Watch, just long press on the screen to do it. The application is free to download from the Mac App Store.

If you don't want to mess with any manual authentication tactics at all, you might want to give Tether a shot. Tether is another Bluetooth LE-powered app, but it unlocks your Mac for you by proximity. This means that when you approach your Mac with your phone in tow, Tether will automatically enter your password and unlock it for you. Conversely, when you walk away it will lock your machine.

Tether requires both a Mac and iOS app to be downloaded, and it requires OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 or newer and iOS 8.0 or newer. Your Mac must have Bluetooth LE (which might be called Bluetooth 4.0) and you must have an iPhone 4S or later. Tether only works with one Mac.

NearLock uses the same Bluetooth Low Energy communication to unlock your Mac and save battery power. It uses the strength of the Bluetooth signal to unlock your Mac based on proximity which is a neat trick. You can also fine tune the distance at which NearLock will unlock your Mac.

If I’ve missed any of your favorite unlocking apps for Apple Watch, let me know in the comment section below. Thanks for reading, do share this post with your friends.